The prison term Edward Rife receives will depend on how cooperative he's been with prosecutors looking into central Ohio drug trafficking.

He never faced any charges connected to the football scandal, but says he received death threats over his involvement and saw his family's finances destroyed.

Rife pleaded guilty in June to drug trafficking and money laundering charges unrelated to the scandal.

Federal authorities investigating Rife's role in a marijuana distribution plot discovered he'd been buying Ohio State memorabilia from football players or giving them discounts on tattoos for the items.

That discovery triggered coach Jim Tressel's resignation and several player suspensions.